Witch hazel
Name: Hamamelis virginiana
Zones: 3–8
In fall, four narrow, spidery, straplike petals emerge a bright yellow and in fragrant clusters that cover the branches. Flowering can begin as early as September or as late as December.
Fall gardening isn't limited to containers of mums and asters! There are plenty of other plants that don’t like to show off their colors until temperatures drop. Then you have to consider trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses that offer spectacular foliage display during these months.
Fine Gardening Magazine [which you can check out from the library] offers a wealth of information on fall plantings across, but here's a showcase some favorite fall plants. Some of these are interesting varieties of fall classics,while others are underused stars that you might not have seen before. All will bring your fall garden from dull to dazzling.
Arkansas bluestar
Name: Amsonia hubrichtii
Zones: 5–8
This plant looks great in spring and summer, but the real show starts in fall when it morphs into an electric yellow mass.
‘Prinz Heinrich’ Japanese anemone
Name: Anemone hupehensis var. japonica ‘Prinz Heinrich’, syn. ‘Prince Henry’
Zones: 5–8
‘Prinz Heinrich’ is among the longest-blooming varieties of Japanese anemone, offering two months of blossoms from September into November.
Summer gentian
Name: Gentiana septemfida
Zones: 4–7
Don’t let its name fool you—summer gentian starts blooming in late summer right through fall and will add a pop of blue to a sea of orange, yellow, and red.
‘Scarlet Belle’ pitcher plant
Name: Sarracenia × ‘Scarlet Belle’
Zones: 5–10
The flowers are otherworldly, with intense summer color that becomes unbelievably red when colder weather arrives. The pitchers will remain upright until snow breaks them down.
‘Bolero’ garden mum
Name: Chrysanthemum ‘Bolero’
Zones: 5–9
An alternative to standard fall mums, these plants are bigger, better, and hardier.
‘Gilt Edge’ toad lily
Name: Tricyrtis formosana ‘Gilt Edge’
Zones: 5–8
The clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers that emerge in early to midfall make this deciduous perennial a true standout.
Cinnamon clethra
Name: Clethra acuminata
Zones: 5–8
In early summer, long, slender racemes composed of small ivory flowers appear, then give way to peppercorn-shaped seed capsules that swoop out from the branch tips in fall. About the same time, lance-shaped leaves become a glowing golden yellow.
American beautyberry
Name: Callicarpa americana
Zones: 5–10
Not only are the clusters of purple berries that appear in fall beautiful, but they also feed local wildlife.
Franklin tree
Name: Franklinia alatamaha
Zones: 6–9
In late summer, the silky, round white buds form and soon open to flat-faced, 4-to-5-inch-wide flowers with a golden yellow center. In fall, the narrow leaves turn a brilliant fire-engine red.